Balinese protest against WWF

Balinese protest against WWF

DENPASAR, Bali: Around 100 people from the Desa Adat
(customary village) in Tanjung Benoa staged a protest at the
Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) Wallacea Bio-Region office here
on Saturday, demanding the government revoke the anti-turtle
poaching regulation.

The protesters also demanded that the WWF come up with
alternative sources of incomes for former turtle hunters.

They also accused the WWF and other environmental NGOs of
pushing the government to conduct the recent raids and seizures
of several turtle-poaching boats in Bali and Kalimantan.

"We were granted a quota of 5,000 turtles a year by the late
governor IB Mantra. It was decreased to 3,200 turtles a year
under governor IB Oka. And now it has totally disappeared. We
want the quota back," said the head of the Tanjung Benoa Desa
Adat AA Gde Asrama said.

The WWF strategy leader for the sea turtle campaign, Ngurah
Mahardika, told the protesters that his organization was ready
for any dialogue on the development of alternative sources of
income for former turtle hunters.

"In fact, the WWF is conducting a participatory mapping on the
village's resources and potential to determine the most
appropriate alternative sources of income," he said. -- JP